Phil Emery put a couple special teams coaches on his list of coaching candidates, and that's only the two that we know about. The Bears general manager might have more names on his LinkedIn account, and it can't be just to comply with the Rooney Rule. So, what gives? Special teams coaches, it seems, are the hot coordinator du jour in some parts of the league. It might be a fad. It might be a trend. It might be the future. Who knows? But it's a...

When putting together the list of grievances surrounding the 2013 Bears, it's important to remember the forgotten unit. Amid compulsory second-guessing over confounding tactical decisions on offense and growing public resentment over inept defense, the Bears abject failure on special teams has been overlooked somewhat. You remember special teams, don't you? All that punting and kicking and returning and penalty killing and power-play stuff? Yeah, the Bears might as well play on...

The last time the Chicago Bears got a contract done with Pat Mannelly, it happened two days after Christmas in 2010. This time, the veteran long snapper has a new deal in place in time for the holidays. Mannelly, the franchise's all-time leader in games played, signed a one-year extension Monday morning that will carry him through the 2013 season. The 37-year-old was set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. “We told them we were...

The Chicago Bears will return their most productive cover man on special teams from last season. Zack Bowman is returning on a one-year contract, according to two NFL sources, putting him in position to help on special teams and add depth at cornerback where the team needs help. Bowman placed second on the team with 11 special teams tackles in 2012 but had only 189 snaps on special teams, far less than Eric Weems (307) who made 12 tackles. Bowman appeared in 11 games after being signed during the...

MOBILE, Ala. -- Chicago Bears special teams coordinator Dave Toub had to know he faced long odds in his bid to land the Miami Dolphins head-coaching job. It's difficult for an assistant to get a first interview for a head-coaching job, nail it and be given the job. Look at what happened with Ron Rivera: The Carolina Panthers were the eighth team to put him through the process before he received an opportunity. The Dolphins eventually tabbed Joe Philbin, the offensive coordinator...

It was not a surprise last week when Chicago Bears defensive coordinator Mel Tucker confirmed the team would be sticking with a base 4-3 defense. Maybe it didn't sit well with those pining for a switch, even though the Bears don't have the personnel to make the conversion. But it is something that Joe DeCamillis believes enhances his special teams unit. Given his choice, DeCamillis would prefer to coach special teams for a team using a 4-3 scheme because of the crop of...

Special teams coordinator Dave Toub was the last coach off the field Monday afternoon at Halas Hall. He was working late after practice with some young players: safety Winston Venable and linebacker Dom DeCicco, both undrafted rookie free agents, as well as Nick Reed. Toub is getting them ready for what could be their Bears debuts in Sunday's season opener against the Atlanta Falcons at Soldier Field. One question worth pondering is whether the Bears will try to get...

For the first time since 2002 the Bears did not have a return touchdown in 2012. But that didn't signal a poor performance on special teams in the final season under coordinator Dave Toub, who departed to rejoin longtime friend Andy Reid with the Chiefs. As it turned out, the only way Toub was going to remain with the Bears was if he had been hired as head coach. He was one of five candidates with a special teams background that general manager Phil Emery interviewed. Joe DeCamillis...

Chicago Bears linebacker Blake Costanzo underwent thumb surgery and was held out of practice Tuesday. But the plan is for the special teams ace to be back in time for the next game Oct. 22 when the Bears host the Detroit Lions on “Monday Night Football.” Costanzo went through two games playing with one good hand before undergoing surgery with the benefit of the off week to give him extra time to heal up. The Bears signed Costanzo to...

Some were hoping the Bears would hire a coach Tuesday. Instead they lost one, as longtime special teams coordinator Dave Toub cleaned out his office at Halas Hall and headed to Kansas City to join the Chiefs. But the team inched closer to naming a head coach, going deeper into the interview process. In town Tuesday, according to sources, were Seahawks offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell and Colts offensive coordinator Bruce Arians. Also in the mix is Marc Trestman, coach of...

BOURBONNAIS -- When Andy Reid showed up at the University of Texas-El Paso to interview for the offensive line coach's job in 1987, Dave Toub took him to lunch. Toub was the strength coach at the time on Bob Stull's staff and he developed a close friendship with Reid. So Toub was saddened Tuesday when he could not attend the funeral of Reid's oldest son Garrett, who died Sunday. Reid gave Toub his first job in the NFL with the Eagles and they stay in contact regularly. Toub knew...

Dave Toub said he could not be sure the new coach of the Chicago Bears would want him to be a part of his staff, so he chose to reunite with a guy who has wanted him for years. Toub, 50, called his nine seasons with the Bears a “great run” but said leaving to become the special teams coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs was a situation he could not pass up. Toub interviewed for the Bears' head-coaching position but was not selected as one of three finalists and general...

The Chicago Bears will return their most productive cover man on special teams from last season. Zack Bowman is returning on a one-year contract, according to two NFL sources, putting him in position to help on special teams and add depth at cornerback where the team needs help. Bowman placed second on the team with 11 special teams tackles in 2012 but had only 189 snaps on special teams, far less than Eric Weems (307) who made 12 tackles. Bowman appeared in 11 games after being signed during the...

Special teams coach Dave Toub will not return to the Chicago Bears under the team's new head coach. An NFL source told the Tribune on Tuesday morning that Toub, one of 13 known candidates to interview for the head-coaching position, is definitely leaving the organization after nine seasons. He was one of four special teams coaches the Bears considered for the job. Toub is joining Andy Reid's staff with the Kansas City Chiefs, the team announced. Toub's contract with the Bears ran...

With one day left before the season opener, the Chicago Bears made a few more moves to shore up their roster. The team placed running back Lorenzo Booker, who sustained a concussion in the final preseason game at Cleveland, on injured reserve. Booker did not practice this week. The Bears also elevated Armando Allen from the practice squad to take Booker's spot. The two were in a battle during the preseason, but Booker earned the 53-man nod based on special teams play. It remains...

Dave Toub is one of the 13 known candidates to become the next head coach of the Chicago Bears. But if that doesn't work out for him, the long-time special teams coordinator is expected to have a long list of options and he's already exploring them. Toub interviewed with Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera on Wednesday, as first reported by the Charlotte Observer, and Toub is expected to interview with Kansas City Chiefs coach Andy Reid in the next day or two, according to an NFL...

The Chicago Bears did not have the kind of magic that has been a part of their return game in recent seasons, but they still retained one of the most successful special-teams units in the NFL in 2012. While some figured the Bears slumped because returner Devin Hester never broke a big run, it was another top season for Dave Toub's unit. In the comprehensive ranking system for special teams that uses 22 categories, the Bears finished eighth - the club's eighth top-10 finish in the past nine...

If the Bears don't hire Dave Toub as head coach, their special teams coordinator likely will have opportunities elsewhere. While Toub remains under contract through 2013, general manager Phil Emery has granted him permission to explore options elsewhere in the event he is not selected for promotion. Toub interviewed with Panthers coach Ron Rivera on Wednesday, first reported by the Charlotte Observer, and a source told the Tribune he will talk with the Chiefs next. Meanwhile, on the Bears' front, Emery...

The Chicago Bears did not have the kind of magic that has been a part of their return game in recent seasons, but they still retained one of the most successful special-teams units in the NFL in 2012. While some figured the Bears slumped because returner Devin Hester never broke a big run, it was another top season for Dave Toub's unit. In the comprehensive ranking system for special teams that uses 22 categories, the Bears finished eighth - the club's eighth top-10 finish in the past nine...